Farce
by Paper'Scars
Summary: Being Rewritten. . . "Book 1: Dried River"
1. Chapter 1

**Farce: Allegiances #1**

* * *

Thunderclan

Leader:

Whitestar―Massive, white battle-scarred tom with dull, amber eyes

Deputy:

Brightswirl―Gorgeous silver, swirl-pattern she-cat with shredded ears and blue eyes

Medicine Cats:

Oatmilk―Pale tortoiseshell tom with green eyes (Apprentice; Robinpaw―Black tom with a dark ginger underbelly and amber eyes)

Prophecy Cats:

Swanheart―Gorgeous white she-cat with blue eyes

Crowflight―Black tom with white chest mark and amber eyes

Queens &amp; Kits:

Amberfoot―Dark, mottled tortoiseshell she-cat with amber eyes

_Vinekit―Dark red tortoiseshell tom with amber eyes and nicked left ear_

_Petalkit―Dark red tortoiseshell she-cat with white paws and amber eyes_

_Echokit―Pale brown she-cat with white underbelly, paws, tail-tip, muzzle, and blue eyes_

Bluefeather―Blue-ish gray she-cat with grey eyes and feather-like tail

_Moonkit―Silver dust she-cat with blue eyes and tufted ears_

_Snowkit―White she-cat with green eyes and light, silver feather-shaped chest marking_

Harewhisker―Brown she-cat with green eyes

_Spottedkit―Gray calico tom with yellow eyes_

_Hollowkit―Dark calico tom with green eyes_

Apprentices &amp; Mentors:

Thistlepaw―Large, dark gray tom with long tail, amber eyes and scar along side  
_(Mentor: Whitestar)_

Tinypaw―Small, gray she-cat with white paws and blue eyes  
_(Mentor: Fallensky)_

Thornpaw―Black tom with white muzzle, underbelly, tail-tip, black pads, nicked left ear, and green eyes  
_(Mentor: Jaytail)_

Bluepaw―Dark gray tom with white muzzle, underbelly, tail-tip, black pads, and blue eyes  
_(Mentor: Graywolf)_

Thrushpaw―Blueish-gray she-cat with white muzzle, underbelly, tail-tip, and green eyes  
_(Mentor: Bearleaf)_

Darkpaw―Black she-cat with scarred cheek and yellow eyes  
_(Mentor: Paledove)_

Sharppaw―White tom with black spots and yellowish-amber eyes  
_(Mentor: Poisonshard)_

Warriors &amp; Senior Warriors:

Fallensky―Handsome brown-and-white tom with blue eyes _Mate: Amberfoot_

Jaytail―Gray tom with blue eyes [Senior]

Windfeather―White and silver tom with green eyes

Graywolf―Silver tom with green eyes

Bearleaf―Dark brown tom with green eyes

Paledove―Light, ginger-and-white she-cat with blue eyes [Senior]

Poisonshard―Black, ragged-pelted tom with midnight purple eyes _Mate: Honeydew_

Swanheart―Gorgeous white she-cat with blue eyes

Honeydew―Cream beige she-cat with amber eyes and shredded ears _Mate: Poisonshard_

Crowflight―Black tom with white chest mark and amber eyes

Elders:

Wintergreen―Brown she-cat with green eyes

Dustbreeze―Gray tom with green eyes and nicked ears

Ducktail―Cream beige tom and stump tail with amber eyes

Weedstem―White tom with brown flecks, broken right hindleg and yellow eyes


	2. Chapter 2

**Takes place in the Old Forest Territories.**

She never had a voice, nor did she have a person to share it with. In which she cries and for the first time, he's there to wipe them away. Echokit had struggled through her kithood, and barely survives to breathe another breath after her apprenticeship. "She's weak, useless, disappointment. I should had killed her when I had the chance, then perhaps, my own kits would be alive." Amberfoot hissed, and lunged toward the kit before she could twitch a whisker.

...

Farce

...

"Are you sure this is safe?" She whimpered, staring off into the unfamiliar territory of Riverclan. Their grounds looked softer, and had small clean pebbles instead of the large, dull rocks thriving in Thunderclan. From her view, Echokit saw only trees and reeds surrounded their borders and deeper in were wood-less, open plains.

"Of course. What could those fish-brains do to us?" Vinekit snarled, his dark red tortoiseshell pelt blocking her view as he leaped in front of her. He yawned lazily and turned tail, kicking a fallen twig forward as they continue to walk.

Echokit's nerves faded away as a familiar, lopsided grinning furball pressed his pelt onto her brown-and-white shades. Spottedkit's eyes twinkled as she leaned into his touch and they continue walking side-by-side, though her being only tall enough to place her head onto his shoulder.

"It's fine. We have been on this trail for a moon, and no one had gotten hurt before." He muttered and licked her cheek.

"Really? Why are you inviting me this time, then?" She asked, blushing at the gentle contact.

Her littermates, Petalkit and Vinekit exchanged looks.

"No _particular_ reason, we just want to spend time with our little sister." Petalkit mewed, Echokit too dazed to notice the sickly sweet innocent in the young tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat.

"Oh," Echokit purred. _They want to play with me! _

"Be quiet, won't you? You'll get us killed." Hollowkit growled, and took the lead of the group as they crossed from Thunderclan to Riverclan territory.

"I thought you said this path was safe!" She hissed, blue-eyes burning a light ember shade. Echokit had always had an unnerving tug when the dark tri-colored tom was around. He was nothing like his brother, Spottedkit.

The two brothers had the same black, ginger, and white calico pelt colors, beside the fact that Spottedkit's black was more gray than midnight dark as Hollowkit's, and bright, round eyes. But that was were the similarities stopped. Their personalities were split, complete opposites.

Echokit had had her fair share of Hollowkit's taunting and insults since she opened her eyes.

"Will you both shut-up?" Vinekit glared, swatting both bickering kits on their ears. Though, Echokit almost fell over without the support of Spottedkit while Hollowkit was hardly effected.

Echokit's ears flatten as they moved deeper into the wet, marshlands of Riverclan. Fallen leaves were gathered in small piles from the season's leaf-fall and the dew were still visible on them.

Petalkit giggled, and leaped onto a leaf-pile. Echokit's eyes widen as her sister disappeared into the pile, the leaves consuming her entirely.

"Petalkit!" She shrieked, rushing to dig her up. Hollowkit rolled his eyes, and nudged her side.

"It's a hideout, mouse-brain." He hissed, before jumping into the hidden tunnel, too. Echokit gaped, and watch as he drowned into the leafs with ease. Then her brother, Vinekit, afterwards.

"Trust me," Spottedkit whispered. She hesitantly nodded before letting him push her into the tunnel, before vanishing into the leaves, following her.

* * *

She landed on a dry mud pile with a soft thump, almost crashing into her brother's behinds. Echokit gasped as she looking around the tunnel. It was filling with nests made with moss and some dead voles, still fresh, laying on a flat stone.

The area was large, but cramped and tight with the five kits.

"You like it?" Spottedkit mewed. Echokit nodded, and sat next to her littermates

"Hollowkit and I found it a moon ago, and we decorated it. When Petalkit and Vinekit were born, we took them out here when you haven't open your eyes yet." He informed, and licked his paws.

Echokit sighed, and wonder what else she had missed the first five sunrises of her life. She was sick before she opened her eyes and was kept in the nursery, while Petalkit and Vinekit had explored the world only hours after they were born.

_The price of being a runt._ She thought bitterly as Spottedkit nudged a half-eaten vole at her paws. Echokit's stomach grumbled and she quickly bit into the prey.

"We're going to Riverclan's garden."

"Garden?"

"They only made a garden recently, mostly catmint and bindweed." Petalkit said in a matter-of-fact tone. Echokit smiled, and wonder if her sister ever thought of being a medicine cat when they grow older.

Though, she doubt it since Petalkit and her weren't on very sisterly terms. Which is the main reason she was surprise she and Vinekit had invited her to play with them. Echokit ignored the suspicious behavior as she was overjoy to have playmates for a sunrise.

"How do we get to the garden?" She asked.

Hollowkit shrugged. "Tunnels, obviously. Apparently this tunnel-system connects throughout the entire forest. We haven't explore all of them, though we have only went into Riverclan territory so far."

"Oh," Echokit responded simply.

"Let's get going, I bet our parents already sent out searching patrols." Spottedkit snorted.

Vinekit nodded, and crawled into another tunnel-opening. Then Petalkit, Hollowkit. Like last time, Spottedkit went after Echokit.

She whimper as she feels trapped again, the tunnel was slightly narrower than the one she went into last time.

Till what seem like moons, Hollowkit popped out of an opening and Echokit crawled upward. She could hardly jump out into the surface without the helpful push from Spottedkit.

* * *

She leaped onto a plump, rich green grass patch. Echokit spun around to help Spottedkit, when she realize he had gotten out by himself.

"See? It wasn't so bad, was it?" He teased, and pressed his nose to her.

Echokit's pelt burned when she noticed that Spottedkit was speaking to her. She nodded quickly and paddled to met up with the others. She obviously realized that she was too small, weak, and short for a kit almost one moon old and couldn't jump out onto the surface without the helpful push of Spottedkit behind her.

"There's a stream a few pawsteps away, but we're stopping here for some herbs." Petalkit said, plucking greens from the ground.

"Are you stealing a clan's herbs?" Echokit accused, looking as her sister continue to pick a variety of useless, and probably important, medicine from their rival's garden.

"No, just the catmint. Not all of it, though." She said, dividing the catmint to Hollowkit, Vinekit, Spottedkit, Echokit, and herself.

Echokit recognized some of the other growing herbs from the garden. Catmint, from her days of observing the medicine cat and apprentice, was rare and hardly grew in the wild. They were most likely most in Twoleg areas. She also saw dandelions, dock, bindweed, fennel, and feverfews.

Her thoughts were shattered as her sister spoke. "Catmint has a cooling, breathy affect. It not only cures deadly greencough, but cleans bad breath, too." Petalkit's eyes fell down on Vinekit.

He hissed, "Be quiet."

Echokit giggled softly, earning a scowl from Vinekit and a small mouth corner twitch from Petalkit.

"Try some," Spottedkit said, swallowing his own catmint. She looked hesitantly at the herb.

_This isn't right, cats could be dying if I eat this. _

She sighed, and laid next to him.

Echokit watched as the others chewed on their catmint, looking carefree and joyful. She bit down on her good nature voice and inhaled her own share of catmint. She had never tried any greens before beside yarrow when she was 8 sunrises old and the medicine cat had found deathberries in her vole.

Instantly, she was taken back by the cooling sensation. Echokit gasped as she let out a minty aroma, and saw that the others had done the same. She purred, enjoying the feeling of the after-effects.

* * *

Unaware, Hollowkit smirked as the pretty she-cat chewed on her catmint. Her expression was the same as just first time trying the tasty leaf.

He turned his head away as Echokit caught him staring, she blinked and went back to eating her catmint and talking with Spottedkit.

* * *

"Let's get moving, campers!" Vinekit exclaimed, whiskers twitching in amusement with a mischievous smirk.

Echokit didn't seem to notice as she ate the rest of her catmint, and even tried some dock―which was not as tasty as the mint, of course, and she suggest it is only used for medical purposes. She stood up, and walked side-by-side with Spottedkit again. He smiled, and nudged her tail with his.

Petalkit and Hollowkit stared attentively, and automatically hissed under their breath at the two love birds.

"Echokit's nothing but dirt," The red tortoiseshell she-cat muttered as they continue walking.

Her brother, Vinekit, frowned. He was the only cat, and only living organism, that she had told about her 'secret' crush on Spottedkit, the oblivious gray calico tom. Though, Petalkit had told many dead prey she had caught and sleeping elders before she had confessed to her brother.

Vinekit didn't understand what Spottedkit sees in his weaker, smaller, fragile-looking sister. Well, he did understand but it didn't mean he'll admit it. Echokit was beautiful for her age and size, most of her traits inherited from their proud, handsome father, Fallensky.

While him and Petalkit had taken their looks and, some say, their personalities from their own tortoiseshell mother. Though, still Echokit had been born to look like a lost, injured mouse.

"We're here." Hollowkit purred, pouncing forward. Vinekit's eyes and thoughts snapped to the rough-waved stream. It was higher up to the shore than normally, probably from last night's rain down.

* * *

Echokit gasped, and her eyes widen at the sight of the beautiful, transparent creek. For a moment, a slim, narrow moment, she felt blessed. All her kithood, her first moon of life, she had felt nothing but loneliness, sorrow, and unmindful like―what her littermates call her―a lost mouse looking for food in the middle of Leaf-bare.

In the water's drift she saw small, multicolored fishes―minnows―crested with fallen flowers and leaves from the season's leaf-fall. Echokit didn't realize she was staring off too deeply until a playful nudge on her shoulder from Spottedkit.

She raised an eyewhisker, and nudged him back. He purred, and pounced on top of her. Echokit was unaware of his intentions and fell on her back gently, him on pinning her down.

Spottedkit opened his mouth to speak as he leaned down, but his head snapped back up and switched from left to right. He sniffed the air and his eyes widen, leaping off of Echokit.

She got up onto her paws. _Did I do something wrong_―

She was interrupted when Spottedkit shoved her into a patch of tall-growing reeds. On her right, her littermates mouthed the word, "Quiet."

* * *

Echokit's eyes widen in fear, and she fought the urge to tremble. She followed their gazes and met with four to five cat-shaped figures. _Oh no, Riverclan patrols!_

Their were two apprentices and three warriors, all twice or even four times her size. The largest one―massive ginger-pelted tom-cat with shady green eyes―opened his mouth and inhaled the air. Echokit held her breath, and wonder if he could smell them hiding in the reeds.

He did.

Before she could process the facts, she was being pulled by Spottedkit and the Riverclan patrol were chasing wildly after them. Vinekit and Hollowkit were the first to jump from their shock and run back toward Thunderclan territory.

Supposedly, Echokit thought it would've been safer to go back into the small, narrow, tunnel but she realize the Riverclan apprentices could easily slip in after them. She ran, behind Spottedkit and in front of Petalkit.

"Hey!" The Riverclan tom called, spotting the five kits. He growled, and lung toward them.

The rest of his patrols did the same, splitting into groups. Echokit glanced behind, over her shoulder, and saw that one party consisted of the two large warriors chasing them on their right while a warrior and two apprentices attempt to catch them on their left.

She shrieked as she saw the taunting claws of the said Riverclan patrol, swatting the air as they ran toward her. Her heart was beating nonstop, and her lungs wanted to burst open. She had never used the amount of energy she was using now as she leaped over fallen logs, and avoid slipping into deep puddles.

"C'mon," Vinekit hissed as he crossed Riverclan territory to their own safe zone. Soon enough, the calico twins were reaching the point of Thunderclan territory as Echokit and Petalkit lagged behind.

* * *

Echokit felt her paws arching and her mind spinning as she speeded up. Though, she was slow and her sister hissed at her.

"Move out of my way, Echokit!" Petalkit hissed, shoving her roughly aside. Unfortunately, the two were running across a hard, gray flat rock as she pushed Echokit over the edge. Petalkit didn't glance back as Echokit fell over the rock, tumbling through a bramble bush and into the nearby stream.

"Echokit!" Spottedkit yowled, rushing forward. He was held back by his brother, and Echokit's littermate.

"We gotta go Spottedkit, no time to save your precious little mate!" Vinekit growled, pulling tightly on his neck.

* * *

She saw her 'so-call friends' disappear into Thunderclan territory. She felt abandon, and frighten at the same time as she spiraled through a prickly bush.

Echokit fell into the freezing cold lake, gasping upward for air or nearby land to grasp onto. She couldn't find one as the strong currents whisked her in circles, back and forth. She sensed a throbbing pain on her left paw, the arm she fell onto when Petalkit pushed her off the rock, and possibly bleeding by the bramble bushes' sharp thorns.

_This is it. _She breathed one last breath before going limp and plunging deep into the once gentle river creek, closing her eyes.

* * *

Author's Note: I edited and re-wrote this chapter from the helpful [might I add inspiring] advice/review from _snidely_.

This chapter was originally only 1,366 words and is now 2,400+ words after editing and adding more scenes in. It took quiet a bit of time, and I am kind of truly proud of it.

Hope you like the chapter, and story. I would be graceful if you send in a review, comment, or even advice to improve the story.

Ahh, thank you so much! R&amp;R, and have a nice day.

Paper'Scars. x


	3. Chapter 3

**Takes place in the Old Forest Territories.**

She never had a voice, nor did she have a person to share it with. In which she cries and for the first time, he's there to wipe them away. Echokit had struggled through her kithood, and barely survives to breathe another breath after her apprenticeship. "She's weak, useless, disappointment. I should had killed her when I had the chance, then perhaps, my own kits would be alive." Amberfoot hissed, and lunged toward the kit before she could twitch a whisker.

* * *

Note: Thank you for the reviews (and tips), and I sincerely apologize for my grammar. I don't know, but I like writing everything in past tense, and it's confusing and strange but, I'll try to fix it later on.

* * *

...

Farce: Echo's POV

...

"Welcome back, Echokit. For a moment there, I thought you had already gone to Starclan." Robinpaw, the young black and dark ginger medicine cat apprentice, said sarcastically.

I giggled, and realized my throat hurt a lot as he offered me a turn in the small water pool that was present next to his supply of herbs. I nodded, and crawled toward the pool, and lapped the water. I purred softly at the cold, relaxing liquid and went back to my own moss nest next to several empty ones.

"How long was I out?" I ask simply, completely ignoring my injuries and what had happened since I blacked out.

Robinpaw shrugged, "Two sunrises. Your father, Fallensky, visited often. And. . . well, Amberfoot? Not so much."

"She didn't visit at all, did she?"

"I'm sorry, Echokit."

I nodded, and greeted the entering old medicine cat. Oatmilk smiled warmly at me, and had goldenrods dangling from his jaws.

"Glad you're awake, dear." He replied shortly after setting the herbs down. "I'm need goldenrod on your scratches. Where were hiding in a thorn bush again?"

"I fell through a bramble bush." I muttered.

"Close enough, I believe my eyes are getting too old to tell the difference." Oatmilk rasped, beginning to chew the plant.

I sneaked a look at Robinpaw, and saw his ears were perked up at the announcement and his pelt fluffed―probably buzzing from excitement.

Obviously, Oatmilk noticed, too, and snarl teasingly. "I'm not _that_ old, you still have a long way ahead of you."

Robinpaw muttered a few unintelligent words that I didn't catch, but knew I probably wouldn't want to hear about anyways.

* * *

"I'm going to get some air," I said as they worked. Oatmilk nodded, signally me it was okay for me to walk despite my broken left paw and aching chest.

As I escaped outside of the medicine cat den, I started toward the fresh kill pile. Before I could take a pawstep, a set of jaw pulled me into a bush. I was graceful that the bush was thorn less, and that the set of jaws belonged to no one other than Hollowkit.

I lied, about the second part of that. I was graceful that the bush was thorn less, but was deeply scare and worried about being in a hidden bush with a tom twice my size that was known to pierce my skin before.

"Echokit." He breathed, his green eyes bewilder.

"Ummh. . . mm. . ." I managed as he pinned me down with his paw wrapped tightly around my throat.

He released me from the cuff, but still stood above me. "They're going to question you."

"W-what?" I coughed.

"Whitestar. He's going to ask you.. questions about your.. trip in Riverclan territory."

"And?"

"Don't tell him about Petalkit pushing you. It would only bring bad deeds." He said, eyes darkening.

I blinked, and wonder if he was warning me _from_ danger. "Why should I trust you?"

"You shouldn't. But, would you like me to threaten you instead? Or peacefully alert?"

I couldn't help but rolled my eyes, "This is what you call peacefully alerting? Psh. . ."

"Don't tell him about Petalkit." Hollowkit hissed, and pushed me out of the bush before vanishing into the nursery himself.

* * *

I frowned, and went back in the medicine cat den, completely forgetting my goal toward the fresh-kill pile.

I was watching Oatmilk and Robinpaw making the poultice and sorting greens when I heard the clan's deputy calling my name.

"Echokit, Whitestar would like to speak to you now." Brightswirl popped her head inside the medicine cat den, and almost causing Oatmilk to choke on a mouth full of herbs he was chewing on to make a poultice.

I sighed, and leaped onto my paws. Well, on most of my paws―I had broken my left front paw when my beloved sister, Petalkit pushed me off a rock cliff, through a prickly bush, and into a rough-drifting lake. I hastily licked my mottle chest with my tongue before limping toward the deputy.

I bet I looked horrible, I had only awoken several heartbeats ago and haven't ate anything in two sunrises. Brightswirl didn't seem to notice to appearances as she let me lean on her as we walked toward the leader's den. I shivered at the thought of talking to the massive, battle-scarred tom with empty eyes.

On the way, I caught Spottedkit's familiar gray calico pelt. I glare, though my practice in throwing mean scowls were worst by far, and I picture myself as threatening as a rabbit.

He met my eyes for a heartbeat. Only, a heartbeat. I frowned, Spottedkit didn't seem to notice as he turned his head back toward two large apprentices. Tinypaw and Sharppaw, I have never met them officially beside the fact of Tinypaw being my father's apprentice and only knew that Sharppaw had his mind hell bend on making my life a living Dark Forest nightmare.

Though, I couldn't let Sharppaw take the fault of hating me. Unlike others, he had an actual reason. When we were kits―I was hardly a few sunrises old, and Sharppaw was Sharpkit being almost 6 moons old―and I was running aimlessly to explore the camp as my first breath was taken, when Vinekit had tripped me into a pile of dirt. At that time, Sharpkit was eating a starling and just so happen to be directly where the dirt that I tripped onto had landed.

He was taking blame of wasting prey, and his apprenticeship was held back three more sunrises after he turned 6 moons old. His sister, Darkpaw, was apprenticed alone much to her dismay, and too, didn't like me.

* * *

I shook my head at the memory and blinked forward as Brightswirl and I enter the leader's den. I gasped at the large cave, and the claw marks pressed onto the flat, gray walls. On my right, a large nest was present with the only one Whitestar beside it.

"Hello, Echokit." He said, and flickered his tail for Brightswirl to leave them alone. She shook her head understandingly, and disappear outside of the leader's den view.

I gulped, "Hi."

"I believe we have much to talk about, don't we?" Whitestar lifted his eyewhisker, questionably.

I nodded, and muttered, "Yes. We do."

"Mhm," He hummed. "Let's begin with the morning when you left Thunderclan's camp."

"Okay. Yeah, okay." I said, and my mouth suddenly felt dry and I tasted salt.

"Well, I was playing moss ball with Bluefeather's kits. Moonkit was passing the moss toward Snowkit, when my littermates came. " I paused to take a small breath.

"Vinekit and Petalkit asked me if I wanted to play with them. I.. I said I wanted to, because, they were my.. littermates, and had never asked me to play with them before. I felt bad, because Moonkit and Snowkit would be short with one player but I wasn't thinking that at the time." I curled my tail over my front paws, and frowned disappoint at myself.

"Continue?" Whitestar's voice startled me out of my thoughts, and I mumble a quiet "sorry, and okay."

"Well, I left them there to play moss ball by themselves. Petalkit and Vinekit took me back into the nursery, and it was empty because all the queens were outside sunning their pelts or eating their breakfast. In the nursery, Hollowkit and Spottedkit were there.. eating a sparrow." I quirked my eyewhiskers, and closed my eyes. I try to inhale the scene again, remembering the details.

"Vinekit told them they were 'heading out' and that they were taking me with them. Spottedkit and Hollowkit said they wanted to come too, and after that.. Petalkit told me that we would be 'going outside' during moonhigh. I didn't realize they met outside of camp, and went along with it." I breathed, slowly down my words to remember the rest of the story. It was hard, having being unconscious for two whole sunrises without a meal or a snack.

"Anyways, at night when all the queens were asleep and it was too dark for the warriors to see us moving through the night, Spottedkit woke me up. We went through the dirtplace, because cats were guarding the camp's entrance. Then, I followed them under a fallen, hollow tree." Whitestar nodded, and urge me to go on.

"We stayed there till light was visible in the sky. I remember nothing else beside my sister telling me the 'plan' and 'directions,' we flee toward Riverclan territory when I knew something was up. But, I didn't want them to think I was.. scare or anything, I went with them. Into the enemy's land." I said, and pictured the reeds and fish-smell.

I paused, and skipped the part of going into the tunnels. I predict that Hollowkit, Spottedkit, and my littermates wanted that as a secret to themselves. I, too, want to keep them a secret. It would be useful to the clan, and I'm being selfish keeping that from the leader himself, but I am what they say me to be. A coward since birth.

"...Then we went to the stream and was founded by a Riverclan patrol. I-I slipped on a rock, and fell into the lake." I breathed out, eyeing my broken paw sadly. I kept asking myself, _why can't I just say it was Petalkit that _pushed me into _the lake or off the small rock cliff? Hollowkit's just making me paranoid! _

"Thank you, Echokit. Though, I had spoken to the Riverclan patrol that brought you back―your littermates were not classify as one of the unsubs that went into the territory. They had only told me about you, and that you had slipped into their territory and got hurt." Whitestar said after I finished my 'testimony'.

I grinded my teeth, and wonder if they had escaped with notice or Amberfoot had covered their tracks.

"Up to date, Hollowkit and Spottedkit were found at the entrance of Thunderclan and were punished of a sunrise of apprentice duties. Nothing else farer, since they are not enough evidence. I'm sorry, Echokit, but you are punished with two sunrises of apprentice duties, after your paw heals, since you went farer out of campsite than Harewhisker's kits." He sighed, and brushed his tail on my shoulder to dismiss me.

I nodded, and walked out of the den slowly.

* * *

I didn't do anything for the rest of day beside limping around to get a piece of fresh-kill, visit the medicine cat den for tips on walking with 3 paws, swatting at bugs flying around me the best I could, and napping alone in my own moss bed.

Oatmilk had told me it would help heal my paw better, since I have littermates that sleep next to me might tear off the cobwebs on my paws. Moonkit and Snowkit helped me build my nest after I apologized to them about ditching them for my littermates. They said it was fine, much to my surprise.

"Hey, where are my littermates, anyways? I haven't seen them the entire sunrise." I asked Snowkit, because Moonkit had gone to find more moss.

"Whitestar let Amberfoot take them out as long as Fallensky went with them. He did," She said quietly.

"Oh, really? I thought kits weren't allow out of camp till they're apprentices." I frowned.

Snowkit shrugged, "It was a award for.. _not leaving_ the camp, like you."

"Wow, but they went, too! That's not fair. . ." I sighed, and pawed the semi-stable bedding we made.

"I know. Amberfoot probably covered their tracks, unlike Harewhisker."

"Harewhisker is actually nice and loyal―she wouldn't lie to her own clan just to save her kits' tails." I mewed, wondering how two devilish kits were related to such a gentle she-cat.

"Speaking of Harewhisker; Birchfur and her aren't mates anymore." Snowkit announced, between the grooming of her silky white pelt.

I gasped, "Why?!"

"She told Bluefeather this morning. Apparently they got into a fight and decided to separate, though, Harewhisker is still taking care of Spottedkit and Hollowkit."

"So, you were listening in." The sudden voice of Snowkit's mother ringed behind him as she entered the nursery with white and silver tabby she-cat by her side.

"Mom! N-no, maybe?" The sisters rambled.

I watched awkwardly as they made up random excuses, and Bluefeather also amusingly smirked.

"..Harewhisker told us. . ."

". . .Birchfur was ranting so loudly!"

"..Rumors spread quite fast, don't you think so?"

Bluefeather shook her head and laughed softly before pulling Moonkit and Snowkit into a side hug with her large tail.

"It's alright, this time. Don't spy anymore, okay? You might end up hearing something you don't want to." She warned, licking their foreheads.

They nodded, and Moonkit finally gave me the rest of the moss I needed to finish my nest.

* * *

Moonkit, Snowkit, and I were finishing up a game of clanship 'Frostclan' when Bluefeather said it was time for them to take their nap.

"Snowstar, you'll regret this! Frostclan will be no more," Moonkit growled.

I laughed as she puffed up her chest and heard Snowkit response, "You'll never beat Frostclan, Moonlily. I hereby exile you from Frostclan."

"Echosplash, show this. . . traitor beyond our territories." Snowkit―Snowstar―said.

Frostclan was a fake clan we created, and Snowkit was the leader. We call her Snowstar, and Moonkit is named Moonlily because lilies were her favorite type of flower, and I was Echosplash.

It was a joke of how I fell into the stream, Moonkit said I must had made a huge splash because when the Riverclan patrol brought me back, I was soak entirely.

We were roleplaying a scene of a story the elders had told us about how the leader before Whitestar had to exile a traitor named Battail after he had killed his our mate.

"Timeout." Moonkit called out, standing up from her sitting position. "Okay, Echokit, this is the part when you become disloyal to Snowstar, and she dies! Hahaha," She laughs with fake evilness.

"Elders tell the weirdest stories. I mean, I believe most of them, but warriors turning on their own leader?" I questioned, and Snowkit nodded.

"It's true, though. Elders don't lie! Well, beside Ducktail, I'm not so sure about him. He's kind of cranky and all like 'step on my tail again and I'll claw your eyes out'."

"Whatever," Moonkit snorted. "Let's get back to playing, time-in!"

"Echosplash, didn't you hear me? Chase her out of Thunderclan territory!" Snowstar snapped, scowling at me.

"She's right, you know." I rasped, pretending to unsheathe my claws. "This is the end of Frostclan!"

"W-what?" The white she-cat's gasp was lost in her throat as Moonlily (Moonkit) and I lunged toward her.

"And. . . dead." Snowkit whispered, pretending to go limp.

"We will rule the forest!" Moonkit and I triumphed.

* * *

"Perhaps you'll rule the forest some other day," Bluefeather interrupted.

"Mom! We were playing," Moonkit sighed.

"It's time for your nap," She said, whirling her tail around Snowkit and her sister, and turned her gaze toward me.

"Amberfoot, Fallensky, and your littermates are back." I nodded, and left the grass clearing to find them.

* * *

It took only minutes to find them, they were sitting under a large oak tree with a few pieces of fresh-kill and Petalkit and Vinekit were tumbling over one another as they chase a brightly colored butterfly across the open field while dodging clan-mates walking by.

My eyes glisten as I find the well-known pelt of my father's brown and white trim, and I ran toward them. They didn't seem to notice me until I was directly next to Fallensky's face. He smiled warmly at me and licked my cheek.

"Welcome back, Echokit." Fallensky greeted with another grin as my littermates pause enough to see me.

I return the smile, and glance at Amberfoot. She snorted, "Hello, Echokit." and nudged a scrawny mouse at my front paws.

I sighed quietly, and sat down next to Fallensky. Most would see the giving of a mouse a motherly generosity, but I realize a blue gloom circling in her eyes, and the prey looked like crowfood.

"I already ate with Snowkit and Moonkit." I said, making a quick excuse.

Amberfoot stared at me, "You haven't ate anything for two days, dear. It would be wise to fill yourself up, don't you want to be_ useful_ someday?"

I bit my bottom lip, and shrink into a lower position―causing my small stomach to touch the grassy grounds. "I'm not hungry."

"You're wasting prey that hard-working warriors hunted hours for―" The cruel tortoiseshell she-cat was cut off, thankfully, by Fallensky.

He cleared his throat, "If she's not hungry, she doesn't have to eat. Don't want to fill her up too much, that could cause a stomach ach."

I nodded gracefully at my father and pushed the prey back toward Amberfoot, who was glaring intensively at me (though she was doing that anyways, or almost always).

"Hi, Echokit!" Petalkit squealed and pressed her pelt against mine.

I beamed, "Hello Petalkit. Hello Vinekit."

"Can we talk to you?" Vinekit asked, and then turned toward Fallensky and Amberfoot before whispering in a low, quiet tone. "_Privately?_"

I gulp, but nodded and follow them. "What did you wanted to talk about?" I asked once we were inside an empty elders' den. They must be out sunning themselves, I thought internally.

"Echokit, I'm sorry I pushed you. It was by accident, I swear." Petalkit said. I stared at her, eyes widen in shock. I did a double-take over her face, and saw nothing double-crossed; though I was still wary―I was never the one to read emotions or body language.

"I'm sorry, too. For, like, leaving you." Vinekit confesses. "They were coming for us, and we couldn't get to you in time."

I smiled, "It's okay. I forgive you."

Vinekit and Petalkit suppress a uncommon smile. If you look at the right angle, they almost look normal and caring. Like Amberfoot, in a way.

"The sun's going down. We better get back to the nursery, the elders should be coming back soon." I nodded and walked side-by-side next to my littermates.

* * *

I woke up to a warm nest, with even warmer pelts surrounding me. I look up, thinking I would see Amberfoot or Fallensky, but only saw Bluefeather's half-snoring, half-drooling face sleeping soundly. On my right and left, Moonkit and Snowkit were bundled up into balls and pressing tightly into Bluefeather. What am I doing in their nest? I thought. Bluefeather must had carried me in.

I sigh, and stared up into the walls of the well-built nursery den. It was dark from the night's non-visible light, and the moon wasn't out glowing brightly like it did during full moons.

I glance over to Amberfoot's nest and saw it was empty. Vinekit and Petalkit were no where to be seen, and her scent trail was long gone. Though, a unknown, foul-smelling odor was present. No one else seem to notice the scent as I realize everyone was a heavy sleeper, and filled the den with their loud snores. Beside Spottedkit.

"Why are you awake, Echokit?" He whispered under his breath from his nest that he shared with Harewhisker and Hollowkit. I frowned, and avert my eyes to Bluefeather's soft fur instead of looking at him.

I heard a whimper and then felt the light thumps of pawsteps coming closer, and closer toward me. I turned, and was nose-to-nose with Spottedkit. He looked tiring, and concern. For me, which was a first.

I may had forgiven my littermates, but Spottedkit was a whole another story. He hasn't even apologize yet, and I expected to see him standing by my nest when I opened my eyes in the medicine cat den. Beside, Petalkit and Vinekit was blood. . . family, while he was not.

"You can't ignore me forever." He husked, and licked his front paw. I felt a small volt in my body, and a flare of angry boiled inside me. His paw. It was his left, and it was waving in front of me. I dropped my eyes down to my own left paw, the broken one.

I sighed, "You did. You never talked or even looked at me until the trip into Riverclan. . . where you _left_ me!"

Spottedkit frowned and turned tail, walking back to his nest and went back to sleep before I could say another word.

* * *

I remember falling asleep after the confrontation of Spottedkit, and waking up to Bluefeather's warm blue eyes. Moonkit and Snowkit were already awoken and had went to the elder's den for their daily story from Ducktail and Wintergreen and the other elders. Petalkit and Vinekit were still resting with a snoring Amberfoot in their own nest and Harewhisker's kits were outside playing.

I yawned, and stretched as I exit the nursery and made my way to the fresh-kill pile. It wasn't crowded, and most of the warriors were already out of camp for patrols. I raced over to the pile and snatched up a large, chubby vole. My stomach was rumbling and the thought of my previous experience with voles disappear as I bit into the juicy prey. As I ate, I start to wonder where Fallensky or Dustbreeze had gone.

Where are they? I thought.

They both had patrols yesterday and today they were off, though the warrior's den held no ragged snores or nest rustling as they shuffle about in their beds. I was off in my own thoughts as I didn't realize the slow pawsteps behind me.

"They're in the leader's den." The owner of the pawsteps said, and I turned around to met the face.

I bit my bottom lip and managed a quiet tone. "What do you want, Hollowkit?"

"What? I can't talk to you, or something?" He grunted, and sat down in front of me; looking down to fix his cold, green eyes to my dull, aqua-blues. I couldn't help but hold back a sarcastic snort, and an eye-roll.

"Not really. Well, you don't talk to be that much, beside the insults." I replied in a causal volume tone.

I felt a uncomfortable shiver in my spine when I saw his eyes darken, and his claws came out.

"We should change that." He said. And I watch as his green eyes turn back to normal and his claws were hidden safely away. I stared at him, partly shock and partly relief. Shock because of the announcement, and relief because of the danger zone no longer exist. Or no longer visibly present.

"Why?" I asked.

"Why _not_?" Hollowkit mewed.

I stayed silent and hesitated. Because, I started thinking. You're not_ good_, I thought.

"I'm not _good?_" He questioned.

I bit my lip; did I say that out loud?

"Yeah. You kind of did." He said.

"Hollowkit, I. . . well, you and I won't make good friends. We're _different_, like fire and water." I explained.

I didn't realize I closed my eyes until I opened them, staring directly at him. He, for once, almost looked hurt. And, like every other time, angry.

"Fine! I don't want to spend my time with a piece of dung, anyways." He growled, and stormed away.

* * *

"What was that all about?" Snowkit asked as I attempt to process the situation. I turned to face the two sisters as they dragged their own meal next to me, a feathery starling.

"Honestly, I don't really know." I admit. "It's confusing, and complicated."

"Don't think so much about it, your head might hurt." Moonkit giggled good-heartedly.

Snowkit rolled her eyes at her sister and bit into the bird, coming back up with a mouth-full of starling. "Anyways. Moonkit and I were in the elder's den and Wintergreen finished the story about Battail."

"I might ask her to tell me that story myself." I said. Moonkit nodded, "We could tell you. Wintergreen is already napping, again."

"Okay." I mewed, but my eyes finds their target of Hollowkit's disappearing tail inside the nursery.

"Hey, Echokit?" Snowkit nudged my shoulder. I shook my head and turn to face them. "Yeah?"

"Are you alright? You seem spaced out." Moonkit asked, concern filled her voice. I smile gracefully, and shook my head again. "I'm fine. Just thinking."

"About?"

"It's kind of personal. I'll tell you later. Beside, I would like to hear the tale of Battail!" I exclaimed.

"Did you just say tale and tail?" Snowkit laughed. I looked at her, confuse. "What?"

"Tale and Tail." Moonkit said, testing out the words.

"Never mind," Snowkit giggled again. "Anyways, Wintergreen. . ."

I listen closely, and picture the old, yet beautiful elderly she-cat with her glossy brown pelt and ageless-green eyes being awoken by two, troublesome kits; Moonkit and Snowkit. In a way, I was blood-related to the two sisters. Their uncle, Windfeather was mate with my grandmother, Wintergreen who was the mother of my father, Fallensky and my decreased aunt, Thinsky. Although, it made us half-cousins because Windfeather was Bluefeather's half-brother, from a earlier litter.

The suffix 'feather' in their name was to honor their decreased mother. Windfeather's litters were unnamed and died before opening their eyes, and Bluefeather was born with one now-also-believe to be dead sibling. Owlfeather, I remember the name as Oatmilk would talk about her a lot. It appears that Oatmilk was very close to her, though the reason to was unknown to me.

". . .Blood was spray across the field, and the fire ablaze! Then, a crack was heard. The trees were burning and falling down!" Moonkit finished the story, with many over-graphic scenes.

"Wow." I involuntarily shivered at the image implanted in my head. "What happens nest?"

"Wintergreen stopped after that. We have to wait until _tomorrow_!" They whined.

"Doesn't Ducktail and Weedstem know the story, too?" I asked.

"Yes. But, sadly, they don't want to talk about it."

"A _memory_ that haunts their dreams, and creates a slate of ice blocking them between the _present, future, _and_ past_. . ." Snowkit recited from Wintergreen's response.

"What does that mean?" I asked.

"I have_ no_ idea. Elders are weird!"


End file.
